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World Juniors: Day 3 recap

Thatcher Demko had a shutout, Gustav Forsling scored twice, while Jake Virtanen got promoted as all three Vancouver Canucks prospects remain unbeaten at the 2015 World Juniors.

Canada (4) – Finland (1)Jake Virtanen: 2 shots, Even

Sam Reinhart scored twice as Canada improved to a perfect 3-0-0-0 with a 4-1 win over Finland at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday night.

Zachary Fucale finished with 27 saves, while Anthony Duclair and Curtis Lazar found the back of the net 3:10 apart in the latter half of the third period to break the game open.

Jake Virtanen had a strong showing despite being left off the scoresheet. The speedy winger had some jump in his game, resulting in him being bumped up to play on the second line with Lazar and Connor McDavid for the final 40 minutes. The trio created some great chances, perhaps none bigger then with just over five minutes gone in the middle stanza after Virtanen threw a thunderous hit in the defensive zone which resulted in a Lazar-McDavid 2-on-1 followed up by Virtanen’s best chance of the game. The first-rounder also got into a pretty heated battle with Finnish defenceman Alex Lintuniemi late in the game.

Gustav Forsling was named the Player of the Game after scoring two goals to lift Sweden to a thrilling 3-2 win over Russia at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Monday.

Forsling gave Sweden a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal from the point midway through opening frame giving him his first of the tournament. After Russia battled back to take a 2-1 lead early in the third period, Forsling wired his second of the game, this one also from the point but at even strength, to knot things up before Axel Holmstrom put Sweden back out in front for good just over four minutes later.

The Canucks fifth round pick in 2014 now has four points (2-2-4) through three games at the tournament. Last spring, Forsling led all defenceman at the 2014 Under-18 Championship with four goals in seven games.

Next up: vs. Switzerland, 1-0-0-1 (Wednesday, 10am PT, TSN)

United States (3) – Slovakia (0)Thatcher Demko: 17-save shutout

It has been over 123 minutes since Thatcher Demko has allowed a goal at the 2015 World Juniors as he made 17 saves to help the United States blank Slovakia 3-0 on Monday afternoon at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Dylan Larkin had a goal and assist, while Sonny Milano and John Hayden added singles as the United States remains unbeaten with a 2-1-0-0 record.

Demko, who didn’t dress on Sunday, wasn’t overly busy, but did have to make some big saves at key times, particular with the game still scoreless. With 3:10 remaining in the opening frame, the Canucks second round, 36th overall, pick last June made a sprawling right leg save without even seeing the puck, then early in the middle stanza he made perhaps his best save of the night, going post-to-post off a cross-crease pass to keep the game knotted at 0-0.

The only goal of the tournament Demko has allowed came less than two minutes into his team’s opening game on a fluke goal that went in off the his own defenders skate.